Last September we headed over to Lisbon for a week and spent most of the week out in Estoril but had 2 nights in Lisbon itself first.  We managed to track down some live music at OndaJazz one of those nights.  Junior Meirelles played a chilled out solo set which made for a very enjoyable evening. Most of the rest of week was spent surfing so this was a great start to the holiday.  Lisbon and the coast is one place we’re definitely going to head back to.

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• October 26, 2008 -- Mick Flannery at the Lodge in Mallow (0)
• October 23, 2008 -- Clare O’Mahony at The Lodge in Mallow (0)
• October 21, 2008 -- Ian Whitty and the Exchange Album Launch in the Pavilion (1)

A few weeks ago I headed over to Manchester for a spot of footie and looked up gig listings for the weekend.  I spotted that The Magic Numbers were playing on the Sunday night so I thought why not?  I didn’t really know much of their stuff but I had heard some songs.  It’s always great to go to a gig with little expectation and be subsequently blown away by the buzz and atmosphere that they generate.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable gig and for those of you luck enough to get a ticket to see them tonight in The Opera House here in Cork as part of the Murphy’s Little Big Nights Out campaign, enjoy!  I, along with 7000 others apparently, unfortunately got a lovely rejection email from Murphy’s.  It felt like a PFO for a job application!

Just a short note on the venue, Band on the Wall, it looks like it has a great line-up with different types of music going on there all the time.  Well worth checking out if you’re in Manchester.

Lots more photos in the full set on Flickr.

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• December 28, 2009 -- Fred at Cork Opera House (2)
• November 11, 2009 -- Julie Feeney at The Pavilion (0)
• September 3, 2009 -- Frank and Walters at Indiependence (0)

These birds were perched up high in El Jem Coliseum in Tunisia and were jostling each other around for space.   I took this shot after waiting for them to make another move.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• March 6, 2008 -- The Steps Oustide El Jem (1)
• March 2, 2008 -- Silhouetted at El Jem (0)
• February 27, 2008 -- The Road to Algeria (5)

On our mammoth two day trip around Tunisia we stopped off at the Hotel Matmata for some welcome food.  Unfortunately it was more couscous!  It was very quiet at the hotel, the pool was actually empty of water but there was somebody outside selling things even here!

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• March 2, 2008 -- Silhouetted at El Jem (0)
• February 29, 2008 -- Into the distance (0)
• March 15, 2008 -- Almost Silhouetted (3)

Whilst wandering around the coliseum at El Jem in Tunisia a couple of weeks back there were archways just crying out to be photographed.  I have a feeling that the two on the left are a pair from Ennis that were staying in the same hotel as us.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• March 15, 2008 -- Almost Silhouetted (3)
• March 12, 2008 -- Hotel Matmata (1)
• March 6, 2008 -- The Steps Oustide El Jem (1)

This shot was taken crossing the salt lake of Chott El Jerid at the same pit-stop as yesterday’s photo.  Coming from Ireland with our twisty windy roads, these straight roads were bizarre.  If you look closely you can see a vehicle of some sore in the distance.  There wasn’t much traffic so I had a bit of time to take the shot in the middle of the road.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• March 12, 2008 -- Hotel Matmata (1)
• March 2, 2008 -- Silhouetted at El Jem (0)
• February 27, 2008 -- The Road to Algeria (5)

There’s a television tower in Berlin which can be seen from a lot of the city. We wandered over there the first day we were there but didn’t go up it because of the queues. The next day we were supposed to go back early but we never did. I’d say there’s an impressive view from up there!

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• November 21, 2007 -- Sean Kelleher at The Roundy (0)
• November 20, 2007 -- Aaron Dillon at The Roundy (4)
• November 19, 2007 -- Director at Mitchelstown Music Festival (1)

After a hectic week in Germany which included a visit to Berlin and Munich (for the Oktoberfest) and finally onto Salzburg in Austria I felt it time to post a few photos so here’s one from Berlin at the Sony Centre. We had rented bikes and ended up here for a nice coffee and dessert before heading off to the Jewish museum. Alas, I got a puncture and got lost in Berlin with no German and no map but I’ll leave that to another day…

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• November 21, 2007 -- Sean Kelleher at The Roundy (0)
• November 20, 2007 -- Aaron Dillon at The Roundy (4)
• November 19, 2007 -- Director at Mitchelstown Music Festival (1)

The death penalty is wrong, originally uploaded by Steve Rhodes.

Tookie was executed this morning.

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Stanley Tookie Williams is scheduled to be executed in California in less than 18 hours.  Arnold Schwarzenegger is the current governor and he is the man who can still save Tookie. 

I hadn’t heard of Tookie before this but I read about him on the Save Tookie site.  Apparently he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 5 times, and 4 times for the Nobel Literature Prize. 

The reasons behind the campaign to save him are because of the spurious evidence in the trial that he was convicted in and also because of the turn around shown by him in his work to persuade kids away from violence. 

All this apart, in todays climate of executions of Americans and British, among other nationalities, in Iraq is it not time for the US to stop executions like most other civilised nations?  The executions in Iraq are carried out by extremist groups which you would hope that the majority of the population do not support whereas in the US it is the democratically elected government that is carrying out executions.  Iraq also carries out such “authorised” executions but which nation is the more civilised and more advanced? 

Email Arnie and let him know that you don’t agree with this execution, or any executions for that matter.  Sign the petition to save Tookie.

Some links:

Redemption: Hip Hop United to Save Stan Tookie Williams

Campaign to End the Death Penalty

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